Tiltable crucible or converter

ABSTRACT

The invention provides an improvement of the converter supporting arrangement disclosed in U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706, enabling easy dismounting of the converter from its carrying ring to allow exchange vessel operation. To this end, the supporting means mounting the converter on its carrying ring, comprising annular lugs on the converter and cylindrical disks on the carrying ring engaging therewith, are releasable in that the disks are guided in a recess of the carrying ring to be movable into and out of engagement with said annular lugs by adjusting means.

United States Patent Puhringer [451 Jan. 18, 1972 [54] TI TABLE CRUCIBLE ()R CONVERTER 3,373,985 3/1968 Puxkandl ..266/36 P 3,412,904 11/1968 Chupka ...222/166 lflvemori Puhnnger, Lmz, Ausma 3,455,545 7/1969 Campbell ..266/36 1? [731 Assign: veremigte michjsche and P tar E amin r SamuelF (\lenmu Stahl k Akti llsch Linz, Ausv ma e mam AnomeyBrumbaugh,Graves, Donahue & Raymond [22] Filed: Sept. 30, 1969 [57] ABSTRACT [2 PP 862,274 The invention provides an improvement of the converter supporting arrangement disclosed in US. Pat. No. 3,477,706, enabling easy dismounting of the converter from its carrying [30] Foreign Application Pnomy Dam ring to allow exchange vessel operation. To this end, the sup- Oct. 15, 1968 Austria ..A 10041/68 porting means mounting the converter on its carrying ring, comprising annular lugs on the converter and cylindrical disks [52] US. Cl 266/36, 222/166 on the carrying ring engaging therewith, are releasable in that [51] Int. Cl ..C2lc 5/50 the disks are guided in a recess of the carrying ring to be [58] Field of Search ..222/166; 266/35, 36 P movable into and out of engagement with said annular lugs by adjusting means. [56] References Cited 7 Claims, 5 Drawlng Figures UNITED STATES PATENTS 3,337,205 8/1967 Puxkandl ..266/36 P 1 a 5 1 I T r I X I WEMEMWW Y 3.635,,d58

SHEET 1 [1F 3 INVESTOR.

OTHMAR PUHRINGER A T TOR/V5 Y5 PATENTEB JAN 1 81572 SHEET 2 OF 3 JYNVENTOR. OTHMAR PUHRINGER i 5 ATTORNEYS.

PATENTEDJANI we 3,3558

sum 3 BF 3 his ATTORNEYS.

TILTABLE CRUCIBLE R CONVERTER My earlier issued U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706 relates to a tiltable crucible or converter, supported in a carrying .ring of preferably box-type design which surrounds the converter shell by supporting means taking up bearing and tilting forces, said supporting means comprising annular lugs connected to the converter shell and adapted to receive corresponding supporting members connected to the carrying ring, said converter being characterized in that for taking up the bearing forces, two supporting members designed as carrying disks are so arranged opposite each other that their axes lie in the plane defined by the trunnion axis and the longitudinal axis of the converter.

By this construction a statically determinate converter sup port is intended, which is capable .of accommodating any changes in the position and shape of the converter caused by thermal expansion. It is a further object of the construction according to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706 to avoid that the converter is abruptly hit or pushed against the carrying ring during tilting. When the converter is tilted the inner wall of the lugs is rolling off on the carrying disks so that any play between lugs and carrying disks is rendered ineffective and impact shocks are prevented from arising.

The converter according .to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706 is destined for plants in which the converter is relined and operated in the same stand. A removal of the converter from its stand during normal operation is not provided for.

.In recent times steel makers have frequently voiced the wish for so-called transfer vessels in order to increase the production capacity. Transfer vessels are relined not in the blowing stand but in a separate lining stand so that there is always a converter ready for operation in the blowing stand. Therefore it is necessary that transfer vessels be easily insertable into and removable from the carrying ring without complicated adapting and adjusting work.

The invention has at its object to design a converter according to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706 transfer vessel and this object is achieved inthat the carrying disks are arranged in a recess of the carrying ring to be movable into and out of engagement in a direction radial to the converter.

Preferably the carrying disks are guided in a conically shaped seat bushing, the taper of the cone being directed towards the converter.

Suitably the carrying disks are fixed to an adjusting device which is guided through thehollow trunnions and operable by hydraulic means. Advantageously a slag-fending sheet is fixed to the carrying ring According to a preferred embodiment of the invention the adjusting device comprisesa hollow tube; in the interior of the tube a means for aiming at a marking on the converter wall may be provided. Furthermore it is advantageous to provide that the lugs for the carrying disks and the lugs for the tilting disk have identical dimensions and to arrange them in pairs in the trunnion axis as well as perpendicularly thereto. This embodiment makes it possible to insert the converter in positions transposed by 90 so that the wear of the converter lining is equalized.

In order that the invention may be more fully understood an embodiment thereof will now be described with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which:

FIGS. 1 and 2 show the converter during operation and during lowering, respectively,

FIG. 3 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the left bearing construction in the trunnion axis, in engaged position,

FIG. 4 is a similar view showing the right bearing construction out of engagement,

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the tilting lug connection.

Reference numeral 1 denotes a crucible or converter which is surrounded by a carrying ring 2 of boxlike profile approximately at the level of the converter's center of gravity, trunnions 3 for rotation and support being connected to said carrying ring. At opposite places on the converter 1, in the axis of the trunnions 3, i.e., coaxial with the latter, annular lugs 4 are provided having a hollow cylindrical shape. These lugs are rigidly-connected, e.g., welded by radial reinforcement ribs 5 to the converter shell. In the carrying ring 2 a cylindrical recess 6 fitted with a bushing 7 with a conical seat 8 is provided. As revealed from the drawing, (FIG. 3), the convergence of this conical seat is directed towards the center of the converter. An annular carrying body 9, which in the following, in analogy to the U.S. Pat. No. 3,477,706 is referred to as carrying disk, and which is provided with a conical support surface 10 having thesame inclination as the guiding surface 8 of the bushing 7, is inserted into the recess 6 and connected by means of screws 11 with the adjusting device 12. This adjusting device is designed as a tubelike carrying member and is displaceable along its own axis together with the carrying disk in the hollow carrying trunnion 3, i.e., it is displaceable in a direction radial to the converter. Displacement is advantageously achieved by means of hydraulic jacks 13, each situated in a housing 14 at the end of each trunnion 3. A covering (slag-fending) sheet 15 is joined, e.g., welded, to the upper side of the carrying ring 2. It is fitted to the conical upper part of the converter 1 like a shed.

In FIGS. 1 and 3 the engaged position is illustrated, in which the carrying disk 9 is firmly pressed against the seat 8 of the bushing 7 and the front edge 16 of the carrying disk is in engagement with the lug 4. In the analogous illustrations in FIGS. 2 and 4 the carrying disk 9 and the adjusting device 12 are retracted, i.e., the front edge 16 of the carrying disk is flush with the inner wall of the carrying ring 2. In this position the converter may be lowered.

FIG. 5 shows a longitudinal sectional view of the tilting claw connection serving to support the converter during tilting. The tilting claw may have any shape but it must always be possible to lower the converter past it. However, it is preferred according to the present invention to design the tilting member also as a disk radially displaceable towards the converter. Numeral 4' again denotes the annular lug, 2 is the carrying ring and 9' is the tilting disk inserted into the recess 6, said tilting disk having a conical seat 10' which coacts with the conical seat 8' of the bushing 7 The adjusting device 12 which is rigidly con nected with the tilting disk 9' comprises :a tubelike carrier 12 and a crosshead 20. Between crosshead and carrying ring hydraulic jacks 13' are arranged.

The-axis of the tilting claw is arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the trunnions 3 and the tilting; claw is movable into and out of engagement with the annular lug 4. FIGS. 1 and 2 show the position of the tilting claw on the carrying ring 2 and also the position of the annular lug 4' and the radial reinforcement ribs 5 on the converter 1. A second tilting claw (not shown) may also be provided in a diametrically opposed position on the converter assembly. In this embodiment, the axes of the two tilting claw assemblies coincide and are perpendicular to the axis of the trunnions. The annular lugs 4' preferably are identical in size to the carrying lugs 4 and positioned with respect thereto to make possible rotation of the converter as discussed hereinabove.

Since the carrying trunnion 3 and the adjustment device 12 are designed to be hollow, it is possible on the one hand to blow air against the converter shell and to provide for cooling the support arrangement, and on the other hand a device for aiming may be arranged in the interior of'the tube 12, e.g., two hair crosses Z1, 22, so that with the aid of the marking 23 at the converter shell the correct position of the converter in relation to the bearing construction may be found. The tube 12' of the tilting member may likewise be air-cooled and be provided with an aiming device.

Whatl claim is:

I. A tiltable converter assembly comprising a vessel having a substantially cylindrical shape, a carrying ring surrounding and supporting said vessel, two diametrically opposed trunnions positioned on the carrying ring, two supporting means connecting the vessel and the carrying ring to take up the bearing forces, each supporting means comprising an annular lug connected to said vessel and a carrying disk connected to the carrying ring, the axes of the annular lug and the carrying disk being aligned with the axis of the trunnions when said vessel is being supported by said ring, and means for moving the carrying disk of each supporting means in a direction radial to the vessel into and out of engagement with the lug.

2. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the carrying disk of each supporting means is guided in a bushing providing a seat conically tapering toward the vessel.

3. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the carrying diskof each supporting means is positioned in a bore of the corresponding trunnion and operable by hydraulic means.

4. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein a slag-fending sheet is attached to the carrying ring.

5. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the carrying disk has a hollow tube therein containing means for aiming at a marking on the vessel.

6. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one additional supporting means to take up the tilting forces, the axes of the annular lug and the carrying disk of each additional supporting means arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the trunnions, and means for moving the carrying disk of each additional supporting means into and out of engagement with its respective annular lug.

7. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein four annular lugs of identical dimensions are connected to the vessel, the lugs being arranged with one pair on the trunnion axis and the other pair perpendicular thereto.

# II i t t 

1. A tiltable converter assembly comprising a vessel having a substantially cylindrical shape, a carrying ring surrounding and supporting said vessel, two diametrically opposed trunnions positioned on the carrying ring, two supporting means connecting the vessel and the carrying ring to take up the bearing forces, each supporting means comprising an annular lug connected to said vessel and a carrying disk connected to the carrying ring, the axes of the annular lug and the carrying disk being aligned with the axis of the trunnions when said vessel is being supported by said ring, and means for moving the carrying disk of each supporting means in a direction radial to the vessel into and out of engagement with the lug.
 2. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the carrying disk of each supporting means is guided in a bushing providing a seat conically tapering toward the vessel.
 3. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the carrying disk of each supporting means is positioned in a bore of the corresponding trunnion and operable by hydraulic means.
 4. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein a slag-fending sheet is attached to the carrying ring.
 5. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 wherein the means for moving the carrying disk has a hollow tube therein containing means for aiming at a marking on the vessel.
 6. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 1 further comprising at least one additional supporting means to take up the tilting forces, the axes of the annular lug and the carrying disk of each additional supporting means arranged perpendicularly to the axis of the trunnions, and means for moving the carrying disk of each additional supporting means into and out of engagement with its respective annular lug.
 7. The converter assembly as set forth in claim 6 wherein four annular lugs of identical dimensions are connected to the vessel, the lugs being arranged with one pair on the trunnion axis and the other pair perpendicular thereto. 